


Walking the Line

by Lonewritersclub



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: White Knight (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Arkham, Batjokes, Breaking Out, Drabble, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gotham, Johnny Cash - Freeform, M/M, Manipulation, Mental Health Issues, Oneshot, Songfic, i walk the line
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 16:29:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13593984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lonewritersclub/pseuds/Lonewritersclub
Summary: Joker sacrifices a lot for his Bat. Wonder if he ever realizes that. Maybe tonight he will.





	Walking the Line

**Walking The Line**

_I keep a close watch on this heart of mine_

_I keep my eyes wide open all the time_

 

Joker watches him from the corner of his sharp green eye. The Batman turns around from the boy in blue, and their eyes lock through the bars. Joker shudders.

“And where is Dr Quinzel now?” the rough voice questions with the usual great intent lazed with disappointment in the corrupt system and feeble doctors.

The boy in blue shrugs trying to cover up his fear by acting so very casual to be considered almost slothful. A red corner tasting of rust quirks up slightly despite Joker’s nonchalance to the situation – apart from the man in black, of course, who spares him one last stern glance before walking away.

Only when he’s left alone in his cell does Joker laughs out loud staring at the stone wall with crinkly delighted eyes. Not even the Bat knows quite yet _how_ tightly Joker has his therapist wrapped around his little finger. Oh, if they only knew, they wouldn’t leave him out of their sight for one second.

_I keep the ends out for the tie that binds_

_Because you're mine, I walk the line_

 

The Bat won’t get far. Joker won’t let him. He’ll have him in his lap bleeding and whimpering in no time as soon as he gets through these solid rock walls.

But of course, that’s what he always says.

There’s barely any room left on the walls for another Batman poster or space left on the floor for another Dark Knight puppet with pointy ears and long cape as each time he was returned to his cell after a long night out with the Caped Crusader, another piece of merchandise was collected. It was a reward given to him by the orderlies when he behaved himself well while going through the standard procedures of becoming an inmate.

Never did he ask for anything else but something Batman related. His room was soon becoming a museum or preferably an altar of his homage to the dark knight.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t enough for Joker. He wanted the Batman himself. He could go to his bed. Perhaps, tied down to it. He would make a wonderful teddy bear for Joker. 

_I find it very, very easy to be true_

_I find myself alone when each day is through_

 

Dr Quinzel comes to him after hours to free him from his straitjacket. She’s absentminded, and worry and insecurity are etched into the lines between her eyebrows and all around her tight knit mouth.

“Tell me, tell me, tell me…” Joker murmurs chanting as he glowers at her behind his eyelashes. “… what has gone wrong…”  and clenches his fists against his thin thighs.

She looks despondent standing in front of him small and afraid staring at the stones beneath his Batman head slippered feet.

“I tried my best, Mistah J, but Jonny said the gun supplies have gone low ever after Penguin closed down the storages at the docs. He says they can’t operate until they have enough guns for the goons and the bird isn't letting up on the shutdown due to a police investigation he's going through.”

Her voice wavers fragile and sorry during her explanation. She’s twisting her hands behind her back. Joker feels no sympathy for her. He’s enraged. She gets startled by him growling and looks up automatically, round glasses glinting from the moonlight streaming through the small window close to the ceiling. Fear widens her blue eyes.

“He said though that they’ll be ready and rolling in no more than a week. Really, Mistah J, is all going to be alright in no time at all. I’ll make sure of it!”

His growling gradually lowers into a purring and respectively into silence. He loses his interest in her as quickly as it came the first time he realized she was infatuated with him and could be used as a vessel to magnificent things inside the dreadful asylum, and drops himself back to lying on his bunk and turns his back to her without a word.

He hears her dither behind his shoulder for a moment or two biting her nails before finally deciding to clink out of his room in her cheap high shoes. The metal door shuts behind her heavily. The key is twisted and the lock secured.

Joker needs to get out of here. It’s been a month now of him just lying around in the looney bin with nothing to occupy his quick mind – even Batsy’s getting suspicious. Joker just knows this. He can feel it in his bones. A rattle of bat wings.

_Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you_

_Because you're mine, I walk the line_

 

This is why Joker has done a few too quick and impulse driven decisions while impatiently waiting for his henchmen to get their shit together. These rash decisions ultimately landed him in solitary where his mind went numb and his restricted body out of control.

Joker spent the last three days of the week jumping on fat puffy walls and screaming Christmas songs to the wardens guarding the door before finally breaking free from Arkham.

When the time finally came, he finally got his arms free and mind ready to work. Of course there was an upraise from the wardens against their herd of maniacs and the maniacs who were still locked up yelled between the tough bars of their cells while Joker whistled as he skipped along the linoleum floors of the long hallways to freedom. 

The very first thing Joker did after killing a whole lot of guards through Jonny was to goddamn shower. He was absolutely filthy and well, he had to look presentable for his Knight of the Night.

_As sure as night is dark and day is light_

_I keep you on my mind both day and night_

 

Joker grooms himself for hours in the shabby light of a single lightbulb with a red cloth thrown over it in front of a shattered mirror inside a room that’s very close to falling apart. In addition, it’s cold as heck. Harley really couldn’t have picked up a better place, could have she…

She even picked up the wrong lipstick tube for him – nevermind it’s the same exact color he always wears, however, it’s still not _his_ lipstick. It's the wrong brand. Joker doesn't like the design.

Joker grits his teeth in annoyance. If she were here in the room right now, she wouldn’t be for long.

Jonny sits by the window casually throwing more mouldy planks into the fireplace whenever necessary. The rest of the henchmen are waiting outside.

Joker adds some more black around his eyes and carefully curls his long eyelashes smiling to himself. He gets up from the makeup table and walks over to Jonny. “Dress me,” he orders Jonny who contently complies getting his fancy attire from near the fireplace where they had been put up to warm up. Tonight is a black suit event and Joker looks as sharp as ever. He feels his grin splitting his face to the very limits when he just thinks about it - seeing his Batsy again finally.

_And happiness I've known proves that it's right_

_Because you're mine, I walk the line_

 

Gotham central, that’s where he eventually meets him face to face after a long night of explosives and tricky jokes. As Batman closes in on him from across the street in all his intimidating dark glory, Joker bows as eloquently as ever to him in his usual showman comportment, deep and grand.  Batman stalks closer and closer in the middle of the road, the glow of the neon signs reflected on his cape. His mouth is set in a hard disapproving line. Joker’s heart swoons over him and he presses his hands together and then against his cheek as an instinct.

_You've got a way to keep me on your side_

_You give me cause for love that I can't hide_

 

As Batman wraps his hands around his throat, Joker doesn’t even try to reach for his knives. He just holds onto Batman’s grip with affection and swings his feet in the air joyfully. “Oh, darling, you just know how to _rile_ me up!”

That earns a growl out from his Bat and Joker feels positively giddy and giggles in delight. “Will you take me home now? Somewhere soft and warm? I think your bedsheets would do the utmost remarkable job at that,” Joker proposes with a wink and a cheeky smirk.

That earns him a punch in the nose. Bloods starts flowing and Joker’s swollen heart pumps some more and he smiles widely at his lover. He knows he really meant that.

What a _sweetheart_ he can be!

“I’m taking you back to Arkham,” the Bat grunts modestly as he lowers Joker back to ground only to begin dragging him towards the Batmobile.

“That works too, Batsy-boo, though I must inform you in advance that the bed-strings there are simply _awful_!” Joker says as he’s heaved into the passenger’s seat with a thump as the door is quickly swung closed after him. Joker laughs at Batman’s displeasure as he sits down next to him. He handcuffs him to the seat and says nothing.

_For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide_

_Because you're mine, I walk the line_

 

Joker watches the view of night-time Gotham blur behind the armoured windows. He fiddles with the bat-shaped handcuffs, his mind running wild. He really wouldn’t like to return to Arkham after having just managed to escape again and considering how much time he spent there last time. But knowing him, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to see his Bat up and about as soon as possible after such a long hiatus even if that mean not having enough to create mayhem to last for days but only for this one night.

Batman grumbles when it begins to rain in buckets and it becomes hard to see through the windshield. He switches on a control that clears the rain before them. Joker turns to look at him. He looks tired.

“They wouldn’t know if you paused at a rest stop for a little while. The looney bin folks. Just for a bit until the worst of the storm has passed,” Joker suggests surprisingly softly and quietly against the pad of the rain around them. It creates another world for them, walls around it, so it can be just the two of them.

The Bat looks a tad startled as he looks over to him, the big arms grasping the steering wheel tensing in nervousness. Joker doesn’t take advantage of that.

_I keep a close watch on this heart of mine_

_I keep my eyes wide open all the time_

 

Batman still doesn’t say anything. He won’t say yes but after some time they come to a rest stop either way. They park at a hillside where the view over the city opens up between the trees. They don’t get out of the car, of course not, as it’s pouring down. But he turns off the bright lights and then there’s only the soft cool yellow glow illuminating them from the legspace.

The Bat sighs out. He’s exhausted. Joker wants to reach over and he does – he broke free a long time ago. He reaches up to caress the Bat’s cheek that isn’t covered in armor. The Bat grips him by the forearm instantly but he doesn’t immediately twist it away from him. He just holds it there, in the air, for a moment, analysing Joker’s gesture in his ingenious mind.

He lets go of it on the console and squeezes his own hand into a fist next to it. Joker places his purple hand over it right after, carefully grasping the angry gauntlet.

“I know it’s hard for you, darling, but you need to try and relax. Being like this isn’t good for your health,” he says to him almost sympathetically. Like he could mean it.

The edges of his stern mouth tug further downwards. “Then stop causing trouble in my city,” he grunts but doesn’t move his hand away. Joker smiles warmly and leans towards him.

“Whatever would keep you entertained if I didn’t?” Joker says and rubs his thumb against the Bat’s. “All I want is for you to be content enough to keep dancing with me. Because I know all I want to do is keep dancing with you.”

The Bat turns his hard gaze on him and inspects his words and the exposed, honest look on his face. His mouth opens but silence follows. Then it’s just two words. Almost like a sigh. 

_I keep the ends out for the tie that binds_

_Because you're mine, I walk the line_

 

“I know.”

Joker leans out with a satisfied look in his uncontrollable eyes and sits back down in his chair. He keeps staring at Bat with a smile as he starts up the engine again.

They drive through the Gotham night with only the noise of grovel breaking underneath the tires as the backing track to their world. The ancient Arkham building towers over them as they close in on Joker’s halfway home - for as much as Gotham is Joker’s playground, the Batman’s chest is his true home.

Though playtime was over quicker than he had hoped, it had been better than ever for a little while. And he would do anything to repeat it. And as usual, Joker promises to himself he will.

Furthermore, he promises it to the Bat, quietly so that no one else can hear. And only then lets go of his hand.

_  
_

**Author's Note:**

> Am I hitting you with the updates too frequently now? I think I am. At least for me. I should be bloody studying but here. I. am.  
> But I heard this song, actually sang by Halsey, and thought it fit this duo so this is what happened.
> 
> Lemme know what you think :)


End file.
